Dustguard cap or closure



Dec. 15, 1931. w DlTMORE 1,836,653

' DUSTGUARD GAP OR CLOSURE Filed April 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 18 16 Inqeni'ar: W 2 18 Georgie wfliimone,

\19 y USA/MW Dec. 15, 1931. c; w D|TMORE 1,836,653

DUSTGUARD CAP OR CLOSURE Filed April 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: George Wflii'm one,

Aug,

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES GEORGE W. DITMORE, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK DUS'I'GUARD CAP OR CLOSURE Application filed April 2, 1930. Serial No. 441,151.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in dust guard caps or closures,

The present application is a companion to one filed by me of even date herewith, the companion application showing a somewhat similar type of dust guard cap or cover but wherein it is not necessary to make any changes whatever in the journal box to hold 5 or lock the cap in position.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a dust guard cap that may be quickly fitted in a journal box after the journal box has been made to receive the same and wherein a nib or spring lip will engage a receptive portion of the journal box to thus tightly hold and lock the dust guard cap in position.

As is well known, the common practice is 26 to place a wooden block or wedge in the open ing of the dust guard chamber of the journal box, or to provide the dust guard with a small piece of wood that will fit in the slotted openmg of the chamber for the'dust guard, but due to the continual vibrations of the trucks as they pass over the frogs and switches, these wooden pieces will finally work or jar from place, so that the dust or dirt will work in at the top of the dust guard and in that way help defeat the purpose of the dust guard.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard cap that may be formed om a single strip of sheet metal, wherein either legs or nibs or lips at its ends are pro- 10 vided that are to engage receptive slots or projections formed in or on the journal box casting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard cap wherein after the dies have once been made the dust guard cap or closure may be quickly struck from sheet metal, so that the same may be sold at a rela tively low price.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard cap or cover formed of sheet metal comprising a cover plate, small engaging flanges or lips along its outer edges, and resilient metal legs or lips either with olfset tongues or ofi'set projections at its ends to lock with recesses or projections formed in the journal box.

With these and other objects in view, the. invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment, V

Fig. 1 "s a side elevation of a journal box' showing the manner in which the dust guardv cap or cover is held in position; v

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation, with parts being broken away and parts being in sec tion; I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan with a part of the cover plate being broken away for the clearness of illustration; V

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the dust guard cap or cover;

Fig. 5 is a detail end view ofthe same; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing a slightly modifiedform;

Fig. 7 is a rear end elevation, partly in section of this modified form;

Fig. 8 is a detail side view of the modified form of cap or cover;

Fig. 9 is a detail end view form of cap;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 1, of a further modified form; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary rear end elevation, partly in section of this modified form;

Fig. 12 is a detail side elevation of the mod- 01 the modified ified cap or cover as shown in Figs. 10 and 11;

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the modified cap shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12;

Fig.14; is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 1 of a still further modified form;

Fig. 15 isa fragmentary rear end elevation of Fig. 14; I

Fig. 16 is a detail side elevation of a mod-' ified form of cap shown in Figs. 14 and 15;

Fig. 17 is a detail end view of the same; i n.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the cap or cover shown in Figs. 14 to 17.

Referring now more specifically to the several views and to Figs. 1 to 5 in particular, there is shown a journal box 1 with the usual lid 2, while to the rear there, may be seen the compartment 3 in which a dust guard is to be fitted. The compartment 3 is always open at its top, as at 5, as is well known to those skilled in the art. There are also shown the usual strengthening webs or flanges 6 which, of course, are integral with the journal box casting. In this top opening 5, it is the common practice, after a dust guard is in position, to insert a wooden wedge or stick or even having the dust guard carry the cross stick, so that enter and work down beyond the guard and into the packing within the journal box.

The present invention contemplates a dust guard cap or cover for this opening that may be readily placed in position and which may be quickly removed by a workman but, on the other hand. will not jar loose or be lost while the car is in service.

Referring now to the gist of the invention and for the moment to Fig. 4. there will be noticed a dust guard cap 7, which comprises the top or cover plate 8 which is bent downwardly at its two opposite ends 9, as may be clearly seen in the several views. The length of this plate 8 is just slightly greater than the width of the journal box casting at its rear, so that the cap 7 may be placed over the opening 5, as will be understood from Fig. 3.

Each of these end portions 9 has a lip or tongue 10 struck inwardly from the metal, so that the said tongues 10 project in a slightly different plane than the end pieces .9. Along the opposite side edges of the cover plate 8 are formed the two downwardly turned lips 11, so that there will be all in i all four lips or two oppositely arranged pairs.

Referring again for the moment to the journal box casting 1, it will be seen that along its side walls 12 I have shown the two small recesses or notches 13 which, it will be noticed,'are very near the top opening 5. The position of thesenotches 13v are such that when the dust guard 7 is placed down within the opening 5, the two little spring tongues 10 will snap within the notches and the resiliency of the metal will cause these lips to tightly engage these notches and thus hold the cap tightly in position. Also, the.

oppositely arranged downwardly extending lips 11 will engage the side walls about the top of the opening 5, as will be readily understood from the several figures.

Thus, it Will be seen that when the dust guard cap is placed overt-he opening, the lips 11 will overlie the. side walls while the 3 end legs 9 will extend down over the side dirt and dust will notwalls of the journal box casting and the little tongues 10 will spring within the little notches 13 so that it will be impossible to remove the cap until one end is pried away from under its notch, after which the cover may be raised until the same is entirely disengaged from the opening.

It will be seen that this form of dust guard cover is relatively cheap to nuinuiacture and can be made in one operation from suitable dies.

Referring now to a slightly modified form shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, and for the momentto Figs. 6 and 7, there will be seen the fragmental rear of a journal box 14, while on its opposite side walls near the top are the two little teats 15. The dust guard cap 16 is formed with the usual top cover plate 17, the little downwardly projecting lips 18 and the downwardly extending end pieces 19,.and in this instance instead of cutting out little tongues in the end pieces, as shown in the preferred form, I punch the little circular openings 20, so that when the dust cap is forced down in opening, the end pieces 19 will be sprung until the little teats snap within these openings 20. The little lips 18 will engage the outer walls of the journal box casting the same as in the preferred form and the little legs 19 provided with the openings 20, after once being sprung over-the teats 15, will hold the cap firmly in positionuntil the same is pried loose. As in the preferred form, the guard is locked at its opposite ends, the manner of locking only being slightly different.

Referring now to another slightly modified form, that is, Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive, it will be noticed that the journal box 21 is provided with notches 22 similar to the notches shown in Fig. 2 of the preferred form, with the exception that these notches are located a little further down the'walls of the journal box. The dust cap 23 in this instance is similar to the other form shown, with the exception that the legs or end pieces 24 each has the inwardly extending lips 25, so that when the cover is placed in position, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, these lips 25 will spring within the notches 22 and thus tightly hold the cap in position. Along the side edges of the cap are the little lips 26 similar to the other two forms shown to also hold the cap in position.

A still further modification is shown in Figs. 14 to 17 inclusive, and in this instance the journal box has the little notches 27 cut on the inner surface of the side walls of the dust guard chamber. so that a cap 28, the top plate 29 and the lugs 30 of which are the same as in the other forms, may be placed over theopening and the two legs 31 at its opposite ends be forced within the opening of the dust guard chamber. These legs 31 have position over the dust guard the outwardly extending lips 32 to slip under the notches 27, as shown in Fig. 15.

These legs 31 may be struck downwardly from the sheet metal out of which the cap is formed, as may be seen in Fig. 18, the metal in the first place, of course, being longer than the cover plate 29. It will also be noticed that the cover plate 29 extends slightly outwardly, as at 33, beyond the upper portion of the legs to completely cover the opening, as the legs in this instance fit within the dust guard chamber rather than on the outside.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have formed a dust guard cover or cap wherein it is only necessary to make but a slight change in the dust guard chamber of the journal box, so that after the cap is once sprung in place, it will so remain. In fact, it is only necessary to cut slight notches on the outer surface of the wall, or slight notches on the inner surface of the walls or to provide little teats on the outer surface of the walls to accommodate the respective forms of covers just shown and described. Of course, the caps or closures will. be made of sheet metal, which will have some resiliency or spring so that after the tongues or legs are once allowed to spring in position, they will remain in this condition until purposely removed.

It will also be understood that the Width of all the cover plates will be sufiicient to cover the opening above the dust guard chamber.

Finally, it will be noticed that in all of these forms, the locking means is arranged at the opposite ends of the dust guard cover rather than along the sides, as shown in the companion application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

1. A dust guard cap or closure formed of sheet metal having a flat top portion, a plurality of downwardly extending spring flanges on its opposite side edges, downwardly extending legs at its opposite ends, the legs being of a spring-like nature and provided with means adapted to cooperate with receptive portions of a journal box to thereby lock the lid in position.

2. A dust guard cap or closure formed of sheet metal having a flat top portion, downwardly extending flexible lips on its opposite side edges adapted to engage the walls of a journal box casting, spring-like legs formed integral with the cover and located at the opposite ends thereof, a portion of the legs having holes therein and the holes so arranged as to snap about cooperative portions in the journal box casting.

3. A dust guard cap or closure formed of sheet metal having a flat top portion, downwardly extending flexible lips on its opposite side edges adapted to engage the walls of a journal box casting, spring-like legs at the end of the cover, a portion of the legs being cut out and offset and adapted to snap into receptive means formed in the journal box casting.

4. A dust guard cap formed of sheet metal comprising a top portion, downwardly extending lips along its opposite side edges, downwardly extending legs at its opposite ends, cut out and ofl'set projecting tongues xtending from the legs and adapted to en- GEORGE W. DITMORE 

